


Easier Than It Looks

by secondalto



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Spoilers, Bucky Barnes Feels, Episode Related, Multi, OT3, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 13:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1552634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secondalto/pseuds/secondalto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Steve brings down HYDRA, Darcy helps a friend of his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Easier Than It Looks

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my post TWS fic that I’ve been working on for almost a month now. Never have the words flowed so easily.
> 
> This fic is dedicated to Rainne. Without her it wouldn’t be what you read here. She claims to hate me for dragging her into this fandom, but she knows she loves me. I thank her for wrangling my punctuation, for letting me borrow the idea that started this fic, for getting me to write Steve/Darcy/Bucky, for feeding our mutual addiction to all things Marvel, for commiserating and talking out all of our Bucky and Steve feels, for being the yin to my yang, for being a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen and for genuinely being the best friend a person could have.
> 
> If you haven't read her "[How Steve Rogers Got His Groove Back](http://archiveofourown.org/series/80140)" verse, I highly recommend that you do.

 It’s been a few days since everything went to hell. The talking heads are foaming at the mouth in excitement over all the information that is floating around there freely now. They’ve been dissecting, analyzing and opining about all of the information from moment one.  Darcy’s just glad her name doesn’t appear very often. And that she’s not attached to SHIELD in any way. She works for Jane who just happens to work for Stark Industries.

She does feel for Steve; he’s the one who has suffered the most. Jane had to physically restrain Darcy from hopping the first train down to D.C. and blowing their cover. They’d gone on a handful of dates and had been planning more before he’d been called down to do Fury’s dirty work. Now Pepper is pulling some strings to get Steve back home as soon as possible. Darcy is just impatient.

She decides that going to her favorite coffee place and getting the sweetest thing she can stand is going to help. Maybe.  She’s walking down the streets with a purpose, feeling like a New Yorker born and bred, even if she isn’t. She’s done this hundreds of times. But this time feels different.

There is frisson of wrongness that skitters along the back of her neck and down her spine. She looks around and sees just the normal sea of people. She tries to shake the feeling off. It doesn’t go away. She shouldn’t be nervous. No one knows who she is, do they?

Her hand goes to her coat pocket, fingers wrapping around the new stun gun Tony gave her for her birthday. It is thousands of volts more powerful than the one she took Thor down with. She weaves between people, not caring that she might be bumping into them. She steers herself into a side alley, ready to pounce.

No one follows her.

Darcy is about to breathe a sigh of relief when a hand comes down hard on her shoulder. The stun gun is out and touching an arm when Darcy gets a good look at the face belonging to the arm. She’s still tempted to press the trigger when her brain finally kicks in. How can this be? She knows this man; she’s seen his face in dozens of history books, in the halls of the Smithsonian. Steve has drawn, sketched and painted that face a thousand times. This is Bucky Barnes. Her hand falters a little.

“James?” she asks, hoping that his true name might mean something. 

He lets go of her shoulder quickly, falling to his knees.  She quickly pockets her weapon. The lines of his body show defeat. This is a man who is lost. She doesn’t know how he found her, how he knows who she is. She wants to ask so many questions, but instead focuses on him as he kneels there in the dirt. His face tilts up to hers, eyes wide and pleading, confusion and pain written in every line.

“Help me. Please?”

*~*~*~*~*~

The first thing Darcy does is call Pepper. While she might not usually be the first person to call, Darcy figures that years of dealing with Tony’s shit had made Pepper the ideal woman to help with this particular problem. She knows from weird and strange.

“Hey, Darcy, what’s going?” Pepper answers.

“I need a car.”

“Are you in trouble, Darcy?” Pepper’s voice now has a tinge of worry to it and Darcy is sorry that she put that there.

“No, no, nothing like that, it’s just….god, this is one of those situations that they never prepare you for in the endless number of meeting or sessions that I got when I officially came to work for Stark Industries.”

“That bad?”

Pepper gets her. “Yeah, make it an unmarked one, and no goons. Just the car, preferably with Happy driving?” Darcy asks pleadingly.

“Tell me where to send it. I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby.”

“No, medical, I’ll meet you there. Bring Tony.”

“Are you hurt, Darcy? Do I need to get Tony in the suit?”

“It’s not me, Pepper,” she says. “Just the car please.

She hangs up and texts Pepper the coordinates, sending the car to the opposite end of the alley. It’s a little more remote and will call less attention to the man who is still kneeling at her feet. Darcy has all kinds of questions but she knows that she can’t ask them until Bucky is safe within the confines of Avengers Tower. 

“James?” she ventures and he looks up at her, eyes wide and curious. “I have someone coming to get us. Will you come with me? I’m going to take you to people who can help.”

“Yes,” is all he says, voice rough as if from disuse. 

She holds out a hand and he takes it with his non-metal one. She gently pulls him to where the car is going to meet them. The car pulls up minutes later, Happy getting out and holding the back doors open for them. If he recognizes Bucky, he betrays nothing and Darcy thanks the stars above for Happy’s discretion.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Darcy reaches medical before Pepper and Tony. The doctors come spilling out, but Bucky tenses, squeezing Darcy’s hand. She’s very grateful that he isn’t holding it with his metal one. 

“They’re just doctors,” she says, but sees him tense up more, as if he wants to run. “They just want to look you over.”

“No,” he says, turning to her, his eyes full of pain and confusion.

Darcy doesn’t know how long it will be before Pepper and Tony show up but she hopes it’s long enough to get Bucky looked at. “How about I come with you, will you let them check you out? They want to make sure nothing is broken. It’s all good, I promise, I won’t let them do anything bad to you. ”

He just nods and once again she’s leading him somewhere. She maneuvers onto the bed next to him, letting go of his hand so the docs can help him out of his clothes. She tries not to stare too much, but she’s only human.  She notes the scarring all along his left pectorals as they lead into where flesh meets metal. She tries not to think of what Bucky must have been feeling after that happened when she hears him suck in a breath through clenched teeth. Two of the nurses are holding him as another one probes along his ribs. She takes his hand again.

“I’m here, James,” she says softly. 

He glances over at her and boy does that make her adrenaline surge. It’s not like she hasn’t seen pictures of him before. But the Bucky of the 1940s was a clean cut, arrogant, self-assured ladies’ man. This Bucky is dangerous, wild and hot as hell. But there is also a scared little boy staring out at her from those blue eyes. Right now Darcy isn’t sure if she wants to fuck him or hug him.

That train of thought is completely derailed when she sees Pepper and Tony through the large picture window separating waiting room from operating room. Tony is waving for her to come out to them and she waves back in acknowledgement.

“James,” she says softly. “My friends are here to help you. I need to go talk to them for a minute or two, but in order to do that, I have to leave you. I promise I won’t go far, just the other side of the window, okay?” She points to where they are standing, looking to him for an answer.

Bucky nods and lets her hand go. Darcy breathes easier and goes to meet Pepper, who is looking more anxious than when Tony goes out to fight bad guys.

“Darcy, what is going….oh, is that?”

Pepper’s gaze has gone the man on the other side of the window. She turns back to Darcy.

“Do you know who that is, Darcy?”

“Kind of why I called you, Pep. It’s not every day that Steve’s best friend slash almost brother comes back from the dead.”

Tony looks concerned. “How much of the info that Romanov released did you read, Lewis?”

“Enough to know I’m not there and to make sure Steve and I weren’t outed as a couple. Jane’s been sciencing a lot, I haven’t had a chance to go further than that.”

“Darcy….,” Pepper begins. “You haven’t seen the news?”

“No. What? What? You guys are freaking me out!”

Pepper takes Darcy by the shoulder and turns her to face the window. “Darcy, that’s not just Bucky Barnes. That’s the Winter Soldier. That’s who Steve was fighting.”

Darcy faints.

*~*~*~*~*~

Moments later, after she comes to she sees that Bucky is hovering over her, keeping Pepper and Tony away from her, like he’s protecting her. She puts a hand on his arm and he looks right at her, blue eyes boring into her.

“I’m okay, James. I just…I’m okay. Pepper and Tony didn’t hurt me. You need to go back in and let the doctors take care of you. Just…help me up?”

He takes her hand and braces her with his other as he lifts her off the ground. She points to a chair and he helps her sit down. A nurse is anxiously waiting at the door.

“Go on, I’ll be right here. Let the doctors look at your ribs.”

He gives her another once over before glaring at Pepper and Tony. Then he goes back through the door. Darcy drops her head into her hands.

“So…wow…this is…..god.”

“You sure do know how to make things interesting, Lewis,” Tony says. 

“How did he even find me?”

“He worked for the enemy. He probably has access we can only dream about. Until he talks, who knows?”

“Darcy, are you sure you should be around him?” Pepper asks.

“He came to me,” she offers. “I think if he wanted me dead, I would be.”

The nurse comes back out and speaks to Darcy. “He’s getting a little antsy; I think he wants Miss Lewis back in there with him.”

“You going in there?” Tony asks.

“Just to see if he’s okay. Then I’ll take him somewhere else, find out some answers.”

She glances back to the window, sees that Bucky is starting to tense up again.

“Guess it’s now or never,” Darcy said standing. “Anywhere I can take him?”

“Communal kitchen,” Tony says. “It’s got plenty of exits and JARVIS can lock it down easy enough.”

“Tony,” Pepper starts.

“No, he’s right,” Darcy says. “I don’t think he’s going to hurt me. But it’s better to be prepared.”

“If you need anything….,” Pepper says.

“I know where to find you,” Darcy says. “Now, I have a not dead ex-soldier slash assassin to tend to.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The communal kitchen on the fiftieth floor really is the best place for Darcy to take Bucky. Who knows when he last ate something and she’s pretty handy around an oven. There’s the added bonus that it has multiple exits, like Tony pointed out, and it can be cut off from the rest of the tower with doors that can withstand even the Hulk. She guides Bucky to the table, pushing him down into one of the chairs. The nurses provided him with a set of scrubs that are generic green and she’s glad she won’t be distracted by his chest.

“You hungry? Thirsty?”

She gets no response but pours herself a cup of coffee and gets him a glass of water just in case. Then her mothering instinct kicks in. “I’m going to feed you.  Grilled cheese, maybe some soup. Okay?”

He doesn’t answer, just watches her, eyes hidden under his bangs. She resists the urge to pull out scissors and give him a cut. She grabs a skillet and goes hunting for ingredients. Campbell’s tomato soup goes into a saucepan, Kraft singles get slapped between some bread. 

“James, I was kinda wondering, do you know who I am?”

He looks up, eyes unfocused as if he’s concentrating, trying to remember something.

“Lewis, Darcy, born 1986, Ulysses S. Grant High school class of 2004, Culver University”

“Okay, no need to run down the vital stats. What I mean is; how did you know to come to me? I’m just an intern.”

She turns the sandwiches in the skillet, trying to concentrate on not burning the bread. She gives the soup a stir and waits for him to answer.

“You’re with the man,” he says quietly.

“What man?”

“The man I met on the bridge, on the ship. I know him,” he looks at her and the tiny smile he gives her is so heartbreaking that Darcy just wants to hug him but she continues with the questions. The soup is done and she ladles some into a bowl.

“That’s good, but how am I with this man?”

“In the park, at the diner, getting coffee,” he says. “There are pictures.”

There is a momentary pause in her sandwich grilling. He means of her and Steve. She pushes down the ball of worry and anxiety pooling in the pit of her stomach and asks the ultimate question. “Where did you see these pictures?” She plates the sandwiches and brings all the food to the table, placing in front of Bucky.

“Secure server, limited access. I can show you, do you want me to?”

“Yes, James, that would be great. We can go to another room later and you can show me and Tony how to access this server. Is there anything else?”

“Is the man here?”

“No, not right now, he got pretty hurt in that fight you had with him. He’ll be here soon though,” she promises.

“I saved him,” Bucky says. “From the river. Was that good?”

Steve almost drowned? Darcy is on the edge of having a breakdown but nods. Bucky seems content with that answer and dives into eating the food. She whips out her phone and types a message that she knows JARVIS will get asking where to put Bucky up for the night. He sends one back directing her to the guest apartments several floors up.

When Bucky finishes his food, she cleans the dishes. Then she says, “Okay, I’m going to take you to somewhere you can clean up and then maybe take a nap or something. Doc said you need to rest those ribs. I’ll come and get you later so you can show me how to access that server. If you need anything, just ask JARVIS. He’s like an invisible butler, right J?”

“Correct, Miss Lewis,” JARVIS says.

Bucky doesn’t seem to be bothered by the disembodied voice from the ceiling so Darcy counts that as a win. Dishes done, she takes him to the apartment JARVIS set out. She makes sure he knows where everything is, that he knows how to contact her if he needs anything. Then she goes to hers and curls up on the other side of her door, shaking in fear.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After she’s sat there for god knows how long, Darcy wipes the tears from her eyes and lets out a large sigh. So the bad guys knew who she was and that she was seeing Steve. Big deal. There has been a target on her back since New Mexico. Just because she now knows the threat is real doesn’t mean she can hide away.  She needs to call Steve. Her original idea of surprising him had gone out the window with Pepper’s revelation. She pulls out her phone and makes the call.

“Hey, Darce. How’s my best girl?”

“I thought Peggy was your best girl?”

“You’ve been talking to her nurses.”

“I just wanted to know the other woman,” Darcy says. She’d visited just the once, it had been an okay trip. Peggy had been glad for the company but Darcy never went back, there was nothing to be jealous of there.

“Darcy, you know that I….”

“I know, Steve. Look, that’s not why I’m calling. There’s something that happened. I need to tell you about it.”

“Darcy?” his voice is filled with worry now. She can almost imagine the frown lines that will have appeared on his forehead.

She sighs. There’s no way to do this than just say it. “Bucky’s here at the Tower. I know what happened.”

Steve’s quiet on the other end. Then he lets out a breath, “I was going to tell you when I came home.”

“I know you would have,” she says, smiling to herself.

“How did he get there? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. He was looking for you. And uh…he kinda found me in an alley. I was on my way to get coffee.”

More silence.

“He didn’t hurt me, Steve. He knew about me from pictures. I’m gonna have Tony look into that. And we’re tabling the discussion about you almost drowning for another time.”

“Yeah, about that….” He sounds sheepish.

“Later, Steve. I know Pepper is trying to get you home ASAP, but there are only so many strings she can pull.”

“I only tried to leave the once,” he whines.

“And you didn’t succeed because your new winged buddy stopped you. You got shot in the stomach, Steve. Even with super healing that takes time to get better. And the hospital isn’t about to let just any ordinary Joe off the street sign Captain America out. Pepper has clout; she’ll get you out soon.”

“Thanks, Darce. I miss you.”

“Miss you too.” They hang up. It’s still too early in their relationship to say the other words that couples say, but she has a feeling it’s not going to be too long now before they do. She feels better about everything and decides that she should check on Bucky, even though she knows JARVIS would have alerted her to anything.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dinner is a quiet affair, just Darcy and Bucky in the small kitchenette of the guest apartment. Darcy introduces Bucky to the wonders on the microwave dinner. He eats almost mechanically, but there are little gestures (refusing green beans, asking for more of the one with pie) that show her deep down Steve’s best friend is still in there. Afterwards she asks him if he’d like to talk.

“No,” he says firmly. “I….can I…?” He seems wary, as if asking for anything will bring punishment. Darcy is once again filled with the urge to hug him. Instead she gently touches his arm.

“You can ask for anything, James. There is no one here who will hurt you. I –we-everyone here, I mean- we want you to feel safe here. The Tower will always be a safe place for you, okay?” She looks at him, studying his face as he processes this.

“Tell me about the man,” he asks softly.

Darcy thinks for a minute. She’ll leave the reminiscing about his boyhood to Steve, so she settles for telling him about how she met Steve and how they started dating. He takes it all in like a sponge letting out little smiles at all the funny parts. It’s late by the time she’s done. 

“Okay, James, this has been one hell of a day. I’m going to leave you to sleep. Remember, if you need anything, just ask JARVIS. He’ll help you out, okay?”

Bucky nods. “Thank you,” he says.

Darcy smiles. “You’re welcome,” she replies, leaving him for the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

“JARVIS?”

“Yes, Miss Lewis?”

“How was Bucky last night?”

“Sergeant Barnes was restless. There did not seem to be any nightmares, but he preferred to sleep on the floor and did not sleep well.”

Darcy was sure the nightmares would come the more Bucky remembered. She’d asked JARVIS to keep an eye out because she was pretty sure he knew the signs of PTSD from when Tony had come home after his ordeal.

“Thanks, J.”

“Of course, Miss Lewis.”

She goes down to his apartment and knocks on the door. He answers in just a pair of sweatpants, hair wet from a shower. Darcy gulps.

“You want breakfast?” she finally manages. “We can go down to the big kitchen and I’ll make you some scrambled eggs and toast. Or anything you like.”

“Yes, please,” he says. She watches as he grabs a shirt and some shoes before he follows her to get food.

Tony and Pepper are both there. Darcy introduces them to Bucky.

“James, these are my friends from yesterday. This is Pepper Potts and that is Tony Stark.”

Bucky looks at Tony. “You’re Howard’s son,” he says.

“Guilty,” Tony says with a rueful smile. It drops off if face before he continues.  “I have to know. Their accident….Was that you..?”

It’s just like Tony to poke the bear with a stick and Darcy’s ready to read him the riot act, so is Pepper by the look on her face, but Bucky answers, softly and haltingly.

“No….I wasn’t responsible. But it…it was no accident.”

“I know that much from the files that went public. After we eat, we’ll go to my lab and you’ll show us that server you were telling Lewis about.”

“I want to help,” Bucky says nodding.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pepper leaves them early, to deal with SI stuff. “Hopefully I’ll have Steve out by this afternoon,” she tells Darcy.

“Thanks, Pep.”

They take the elevator down to Tony’s lab not long after that. It’s full of discarded half-finished tech. They’re greeted by DUM-E,  who’s developed a crush on Darcy. Bucky seems wary of him and U.

“Don’t mind the ‘bots,” Tony says with a dismissive wave. “That one,” he points to DUM-E, who is now trying to examine Bucky’s metal arm, “Loves to meet new people. You should have seen it when I brought Bruce down here.”

He moves things from a table, unearthing a tablet. He taps something into it and a holographic display appears in the middle of the room. He then offers the tablet to Bucky.

“It’s your show, Barnes. What else is HYDRA hiding?”

Bucky takes it and frowns. “Not HYDRA. My…he….” Bucky growls in frustration. He taps something and it brings up a picture of Pierce.

“Is he the one who gave you orders?” Darcy asks softly.

“Yes, but not before. Recently. About the man I met on the bridge.”

“Makes sense that Pierce would have things hidden,” Tony comments.

Bucky nods, then rapidly inputs more things into the tablet. The screen goes blank, flashing code rapidly before hundreds of files are displayed. Tony whistles softly and Darcy’s mind reels at what’s revealed. There are files on major players in the government, in all the governments. Files for major contributors, for rich and famous and even infamous people around the globe.  And of course there are files on every single Avenger and others in their circle. Pierce has files for her, Jane, Pepper, Betty Ross, Fury, Hill and even Coulson. Tony cracks his knuckles and steps up to the screen.

“Let’s see what’s hiding in here.” 

He taps the screen and most of the files disappear, waiting to be looked at later. His file is brought to the forefront. He frowns, bring out a picture of Obadiah Stane. “Obie was HYDRA. That puts some things into perspective.”

Darcy can see Tony’s lips thin and the anger build in his eyes, but he closes the file quickly. He taps on Pepper’s and sends it to her in an email, never opening it. 

“Not curious?” she asks.

“Anything Pep wants me to know, she’ll tell me,” Tony comments moving onto Thor’s file. It is woefully thin. “You know Foster was almost recruited by HYDRA?”

“What? No! She never would!” Darcy says. Bucky gets a little agitated at her outburst. She takes a breath and gives him a smile that seems to soothe him. “I knew that SHIELD tried to get her….Which, okay, yeah, means it was really HYDRA.” Her stomach turns and she takes several breaths to keep her breakfast down.

“Glad I was more persuasive,” Tony grins. He passes by other files, giving them just a quick glance. “Did you know Link was in the circus?”

“You mean Clint? Yeah he talks about it sometimes.”

“Also has a juvie record a mile long. Shoplifting, assault. Oh! He has a brother…and we’ll just leave it at that,” Tony says. A picture of two boys whizzes past. “It also lists some his kills for SHIELD. Impressive.”

Darcy sees the name of a certain military dictator there. She tries not to feel triumphant that her theories about his death were not ludicrous as her professors proclaimed.  Tony skips over her files with a look to her and a nod. She knows she’ll find it in her email later. Then Steve’s file is opened.

There are a handful of pictures of him with Darcy, the ones Bucky had described to her last night. Tony moves past those to pictures of skinny Steve taken during his training before the serum.

“I know him,” Bucky says. He steps forward to gaze at the pictures. He whispers a word, “Punk,” without seeming to know he’s said something. Darcy reaches to touch his back lightly. Bucky shakes his head but stays near the screen. Tony comes to a picture of Peggy and a smile flits across Bucky’s face. “I know her too. Can I meet her?” He back at Darcy as eager as a puppy.

“Maybe, after you see the man from the bridge.”

Tony claps his hands together, closing the screen. “Speaking of, I’m going to see if Pep has got any news. There’s more there, but I can have JARVIS go through it all see if there’s relevant stuff and check for anything encrypted because I wouldn’t put that past Pierce.”

“I’m working on it now, sir.”

“Good, good. Lewis, why don’t you take Mr. Roboto there to the media room, catch him up on what he missed.”

Tony thumps Bucky on the back, startling him before sweeping out of the room.

“You’ll get used to Tony,” Darcy says. “Just remember to try and not hurt him.”

Bucky just stares menacingly in the direction Tony went and huffs. Darcy laughs and pulls him in the direction of the elevator.

~*~*~*~*~*

Steve is pacing the length of his hospital room, trying hard not to go out of his mind with worry. Sam is watching him from the doorway, keeping quiet for now. Darcy’s call has him rattled.

Bucky is with her. Bucky found her. He’s scared and worried but logically Steve knows that Darcy would have told him if something was wrong. But it seems that logic has taken a vacation, so he’s pacing.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” Sam says. He’s trying to be casual but Steve knows there’s tension there.

“It’s just…I want out. Pepper is a swell gal and all….”

“Swell gal?” Sam repeats, raising an eyebrow. “Dude, you have GOT to update your lingo.”

Steve grins. “Not when I already have a girl.”

Any further conversation is interrupted when Steve’s phone chirps. He checks it and sees he has a text.

_Roof. Ten minutes. Bring Tweety Bird. TS_

Finally, he’s being freed. “Got your gear?” he asks Sam.

“Gimme five to grab my wings.”

“Roof in ten,” Steve says. 

Sam nods and makes way for the nurse who’s brought Steve’s discharge papers. Steve signs them, grabs the bag he’d had Sam pack for him and heads for the stairs. He’s pretty sure the apartment has been picked over by HYDRA agents and there’s nothing there he can’t replace. He’s waiting by the door when Sam appears, wings in one hand, duffel in another.

“You sure you want to do this?” he asks.

“Come with Steve Rogers to Avengers Tower? Why wouldn’t I? Besides, you know what name is on these?” he asks, hefting the wings up. Steve shakes his head no. “Stark Industries. Figure I hitch a ride, I can get them fixed.”

Steve snorts. “Fixed? Once Tony gets his hands on those, they’ll be upgraded.”

They both look to the sky when they hear the roar of an engine. The Quinjet hovers in the sky for moment before touching down on the helipad, Tony at the controls. Steve and Sam walk over, climbing in. Tony grins at them.

“This the bird brain who decided to follow your lead?”

“Sam Wilson, Tony Stark. Be nice, Tony, Sam has new toys for you to play with.”

“I always appreciate gifts.” Tony expertly lifts the jet off the roof. “Let’s get you home before Lewis has a fit. She made me swear on the ‘bots to get you there in one piece.”

“How is she? How’s….how’s Bucky?”

Tony’s expression goes serious. “Darcy is good.  She’s holding up well for all that’s happened to her. Barnes…I’d love to get a better look at that arm.”

“Tony-,” Steve huffs.

“He’s….They sure did a number on him,” Tony says flatly. “But he’s useful. He’s already given me access to a secret server Pierce had.”

“Darcy told me about that. How does he seem?”

“It’s gonna be a long road, Cap. The man you knew is in there somewhere, but it’s gonna take time to pull him out.”

Steve sits back, taking it all in. He closes his eyes and thinks about seeing Darcy again. About helping the man who came to her for help. About the man who is both Bucky and the Winter Soldier.

*~*~*~*~*~

The jet touches down at the Tower and Steve is the first one out. He ignores the gentle ribbing of Sam and Tony as he practically runs for the elevator. JARVIS must be linked to the jet or Tony sent him a message because a car is waiting and the doors close the moment he steps in.

“JARVIS….” He says.

“I’m taking you directly to Miss Lewis, Captain,” the AI says and the elevator moves.

He doesn’t have time to think, but his nerves jangle as the doors open and he’s deposited near the communal kitchen. His fingers itch to touch Darcy, to hold her close and know for himself that she’s okay. He takes a breath and walks to a doorway.

She’s standing at the counter, chopping vegetables, smiling. It hits him then, how quickly and deeply he’s fallen for her. She looks up then, her eyes wide and her mouth forming an ‘o’ of surprise.  Steve smiles at her.  He rushes into the room and around the counter. She barely has time to put down the knife before he wraps her into a hug. She hugs him back, sighing into his chest. Then she pushes him away with a nod towards the table and he’s breathless.

Bucky.

Bucky turns in his chair as if following Darcy’s gaze. Steve’s heart skitters in his chest. Gone is the fierce warrior who didn’t know him and the man sitting there isn’t quite his Bucky. This isn’t the man who would follow him into battle but he might be again someday. Steve’s emotions churn in his stomach until his brain connects the dots in a jolting revelation. He remembers before, how it felt when Bucky went off to war without him, how he felt when he rescued Bucky from the HYDRA camp, how he felt when Bucky fell.  

Steve feels the same way about both of the people in the kitchen. He loves them both.

He’s read about this on the internet and he feels that people should love who they love without judgment. Especially when it’s him and his people.  It’s just going to take a while for his brain to adjust to this new realization.

Darcy, blessedly, steps from behind the counter. “Steve, I’d like you to meet someone I know you’ve met before. This is James.”

Steve finally steps into the kitchen, closer to the table. “Hi, James,” he says, unable to keep from smiling.

“I know you,” is all Bucky says.

“And I know you,” Steve replies. It’s a start.

*~*~*~*~*~*

They have a subdued dinner in the kitchen, making small talk about nothing at all. Steve is hyper-aware of both Bucky and Darcy, wanting to do something, but not sure what. Finally the meal is over and Darcy asks Bucky what he wants to do next. 

“Tired,” he says. 

“We’ll walk you back to your room,” she says.

It’s quietly awkward on the ride up but they say goodnight pleasantly and Darcy squeezes Bucky’s hand with one last reminder.

“And of course, if you need anything, just ask JARVIS,” she says.

He nods and they leave him alone. They walk back to the elevator and once the doors close behind them Steve pulls Darcy in for a hug. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him. He kisses her back, picking her up and pressing her against the wall.  He buries his hands in her hair, and she hooks a leg over his hip.  They only pull apart when the elevator chimes that they’ve reached their destination. Steve reluctantly lets Darcy down gently.

“I guess you really did miss me,” she says with a grin as she steps out into the hall.

“I wanted to do that the minute I saw you,” he admits. 

“I don’t mind that at all,” she says, leading him to her apartment. “So, did Natasha try and set you up again?”

“Several times,” he says, following her in the door after she opens it. “It wasn’t hard to brush her off. Something else happened though.”

“Do tell,” she says, closing the door behind them.

“I had to kiss her while trying to hide from some HYDRA agents at a mall.”

Darcy looks at him in surprise.

“It didn’t mean anything,” he says. “But then afterward, she asked if she was my first kiss since 1945.”

“The kiss was that awkward?”

“It really was,” he says. “I told her no, but I don’t think she believed me.”

“And she calls herself a superspy,” Darcy laughs.

“I wonder if she really does know about us and is doing all this to try and rattle me,” Steve offers.

“Maybe; I wouldn’t put it past her,” Darcy says. “So…what are we going to do with Bucky?”

Steve sits on her couch and gathers her close as she sits next to him. “I have no idea. He needs help.”

“Understatement of the century,” Darcy says. “But neither of us is remotely qualified to do that. And we don’t know who to trust now that everything is….” she waves a hand in the air.

“I know. I guess we’ll just have to muddle through all of this somehow.”

“It will be okay,” she says. “He’s here, you’re here, and that’s all that matters now.”

She leans up and presses a kiss to his cheek.  He turns, pulls her closer, and kisses her gently. He wants so much more. She moves to sit in his lap and he hisses in pain. 

“Still not healed?” she asks, moving back and running a hand across his stomach. 

“Just tender,” he says. “Darcy…I….”

She gets up off the couch, offering her hand to him. He takes it and she pulls him up, leading her back to her bed. She pulls him down onto it, wrapping herself around him. “Sleep, Steve.” 

He pulls a blanket over them, throwing an arm over her. He listens to her breathing, to her heartbeat and falls into sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The man ( _Steve_ ) and the woman ( _Darcy_ ) leave him alone. He hears the subtle click of a lock, knows why this is necessary. He is a weapon, a threat. But he will not run. He will not hurt them. He needs answers. Too many questions. Lies and orders mixed up and he cannot process them.

He goes to the shower, hoping the water will drown out the doubt. He turns the knob over to hot, almost burning. He steps under the spray and shudders.

( _cold, so cold, no more cold_ )

He remembers how he found them. He saw the man fall.

( _I’m with you til the end of the line_ )

Something ….there was a flash…of screaming, watching the pain on the man’s face.

( _I know him_ )

So he dove, went into the water, pulled the man out. He wanted to stay, but heard-footsteps….He didn’t want to be found. He ran, picked up a jacket left behind on a bench, and used it to hide his arm. He needed to blend in, he knew how to disappear. A ball cap snagged from the ground found its way onto his head. He walked quickly, covered blocks in minutes. There was a safe house, an apartment not far from there. He picked the lock, cleaned up, got money, different clothes, and used the computer. He knew how to find the man.

Wandered the city until he saw large pictures of the man outside a museum. He went in. He blended with the crowds until he saw a face. His own face beneath a name: James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. The man had called him Bucky. He was not Bucky. He was “the asset”, a tool, an instrument. He left the museum, hid in an alley until the next day, his brain trying to process everything.

He’d awoken the next morning with only one thought: find the man.

( _You were my friend_ )

He found a train station, bought a ticket. He sat in the back of a car, head down, thoughts only focused on the man. Once he’d gotten to New York, he’d found the Tower from one of the pictures on the computer. He kept an eye on it. He never saw the man. But the next day he saw the woman. She had been in some of the pictures with the man; she knew him. He followed her. She’d ducked into an alley, drawn a weapon. He didn’t care; she knew the man.

“James?” she’d said. It was the name attached to his face at the museum. Was that his name? 

He’d fallen to his knees and asked for help. She’d taken him back to the Tower. There had been people in white coats there.

( _no, no, no, not his arm, not his arm_ )

But she had stayed with him. She was nice; she could help him find the man.

( _Bucky? Who the hell is Bucky_?)

She’d asked him questions, fed him, he’d told her about the server. She gave him this room. The next day she came, staring at his arm.

( _You are to be the new fist of HYDRA_ )

Offered him more food. He met her friends, Pepper and Tony.

( _Howard’s son. He knew Howard. How did he know Howard? Too many questions_.)

He showed them the files. He helped. It felt….good. It was better to help. Helping meant he got to see the man. Pictures in the files. The man but not the man.

( _punk_ )

A different woman.

( _I know her_ )

Then the man came.

The water starts to turn cold.

( _not the cold, no more cold_ )

He steps out, turns off the water. His head pounds, too much information, too much to process. Sleep. Sleep will help. He dries off. Goes to the bed. Pulls the covers and a pillow to the floor. He lets sleep come. The dreams start.

Falling. Screaming. Watching as a figure gets further away. Cold. That voice ( _it has begun, Sergeant Barnes_ ), the missions ( _You have shaped the century_ ), the cold, so much cold. The man ( _I know him_ ), his handlers ( _wipe him_ ) and then he is screaming.

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Captain Rogers, Miss Lewis, Sergeant Barnes is having severe nightmares. I advise you go to him.”

JARVIS’ voice wakes them both. Steve is up and running for the door. He barely notices Darcy fumbling for her glasses as she follows him. He takes the stairs, not thinking, only knowing that Bucky needs him. JARVIS has unlocked the door to the guest apartment and Steve barrels in, goes straight for the bedroom. Bucky is screaming, flailing. Steve pushes him down, holds him so his metal arm cannot do harm. Darcy is there, saying Bucky’s name.

“James! James, it’s us.”

Steve adds his own voice. “We’re here, Buck. You’re safe. You’re safe.”

Bucky’s arms still and his eyes open, unfocused at first. His breath slows as Darcy gently says his name over and over. Bucky looks at them both, breathing ragged but slowing. He turns to look at Steve.

“It was a dream,” Steve says.

“You’re safe here, James,” Darcy says.

Bucky swallows, shaking his head as if he’s shaking away the dreams. “I…I…I know you,” he says. “But…I don’t know how.”

“You are my friend,” Steve says, moving to let Bucky go. Bucky sits up, clutches at Steve’s arm.

“You were my mission,” Bucky whispers. “But I know you.” Frustration crosses over his features. “I…I….help me?”

Steve’s heart breaks. “We will, Buck. We will,” he says softly.

Bucky buries his head in Steve’s shoulder and lets out a sob. Steve just holds him. Darcy comes closer kneeling down and stroking Bucky’s back. Steve looks at her and she nods. They’ll stay here for now, Bucky needs them.

*~*~*~*~*

Bucky eventually falls asleep in Steve’s arms. He lays his friend down, gently resting his head on the pillow. He convinces Darcy to catch some sleep in Bucky’s bed.

“You need some, too,” she says.

“I’ll just watch you both for a while.”

He does watch them; thinking about what is next on this road. He needs to help Bucky; he needs to go after HYDRA. That last part will require help, so he decides to bring it up when the whole team is back together, which he hopes will be soon. Natasha had visited him in the hospital, mentioned finding Clint. Thor is already here with Jane, so that just leaves Banner’s whereabouts unknown. He climbs into bed behind Darcy, listening to the breathing of the two most important people in his life before he falls asleep again.

He wakes up early. Darcy is curled around him; Bucky’s softly muttering on the floor. He untangles himself and pads into the kitchenette to put on a pot of coffee. He immediately thinks about the current living arrangements.

“JARVIS,” he says softly.

“How can I help you, Captain,” the AI replies.

“Are either of the rooms next to Darcy’s free?”

“Both of them are. The one on the right has a connecting door.”

“Do you think it would be okay if we moved Bucky into that one?”

“If you wait, I can query,” the AI says.

“Sure.”

A moment later JARVIS answers. “Mr. Stark says, and I quote ‘mi casa es su casa’, which means yes.”

“He’s going to need clothes, other things. So am I.”

“I have your measurements on file, Captain. Sergeant Barnes was scanned while in medical and I can order clothes based on those. What are the parameters?”

“Basics, JARVIS. Socks, underwear, jeans, a pair or two of nice dress pants, maybe some sweats to work out in, t-shirts. Nothing formal, no suits. And shoes, I think my favorites are on file, they’re the only kind that stands up to my running.”

“They are, Captain. I will make an order right away and it should arrive by the end of the day. Would you like for me to arrange a suite for you as well?”

“Why not just stay with me?” Darcy says, stepping up to the counter. She yawns as she sits on a stool, eyeing the coffeepot.

Steve takes out a mug and pours her some even though the pot isn’t finished brewing.

“You don’t have to do that, Darce.”

“I want to do it,” she says. “And as soon as I’ve had my java, I’m making breakfast.”

“That sounds great,” Steve says, leaning over the counter to kiss her. “I’m going to go upstairs, grab some clothes, and maybe dig something up for Buck to wear. Watch him?”

“Of course,” she says, smiling over her cup at him.

As he jogs up the stairs, Steve wonders what he did to deserve having Darcy in his life. He grabs some things from her apartment, decides to be lazy and take the elevator down. He tries to puzzle out what the next steps are for all of them. He’d known from the moment he saw Bucky in the street he would go after him. But now that Bucky is here, actively seeking help, Steve is lost. When he gets back, Bucky is up, eating a plate of scrambled eggs.

“Good, you’re back,” Darcy says. “I’ve got yours ready.”

“Brought you clothes,” he says, setting the pile on a stool before accepting his plate.

“You,” she says, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek, “are an angel. I’ll go shower and change; you eat. I know how your metabolism works.”

“Yes ma’am,” he says cheekily with a sloppy salute. He watches her grab her things and saunter to the back of the apartment. He notices Bucky watching too.

“Can I get you more?” Steve asks, nodding to Bucky’s empty plate.

“Please,” he says. Steve gives him the full plate and goes to the fridge for more eggs.

“Did you sleep okay, after the…uh…,” Steve ventures.

“Yes,” Bucky says. He looks up at Steve, expression earnest. There is a faint smile there, lips quirking up on one side. “Thank you.”

“Buck,” Steve starts, but he notices tension returning to his friend’s frame. “James, Darcy and I are here to help you. We’re going to find a way to make things better. We’re going to put you in a different room, closer to us; we want to be there for you. We want to…to help you get yourself back together.”

Bucky nods and eats. Steve thinks maybe they gave Bucky some version of the serum because the only other person he knows with an appetite equal to his is Thor.

Darcy returns, letting Steve grab a quick shower before they convince Bucky to do the same. Just as he emerges, JARVIS makes an announcement.

“Mister Stark requires your presence in the main living room.”

“All of us?” Steve asks.

“He was quite adamant,” JARVIS says.

A look passes between him and Darcy. It’s an unspoken agreement that they are going to be by Bucky’s side at all times. They wait for him to finish dressing and all get in the elevator to ride up to the living room. Tony and Pepper are there as are Sam, Jane and Thor. Darcy nods at him, intercepting the latter two as Steve steers Bucky towards the big couch. Darcy joins them shortly.

“JARVIS said he found something in the rest of those files. It’s something he said the whole team needed to see,” Tony explains.

“But the whole team isn’t here. I don’t think anyone knows where Natasha is,” Darcy says.

“She went to find Clint,” Steve offers.

“Found me.” They all turn to see Clint stepping out of the elevator. “And I hear you guys had some fun without me.”

“Where were you?” Pepper asks.

“Keeping an eye on a few people for Fury,” Clint replies. That’s the best answer they’re going to get for now, so no one pushes. The elevator opens again and Natasha saunters out.

“Look who I found pulling up to the entrance,” she says, stepping out of the way for Bruce.

“I was hiding out doing research, Tony called me a few days ago,” he says. “What’s the deal?”

Tony gestures for everyone to sit and waits until they’re all comfortable.

“So, for those who don’t know, our new semi-frozen friend,” he points to Bucky, who tenses between Darcy and Steve, “Gave us access to a secure server the not so dearly departed Councilman Pierce had. He had files on all of us, which have been sent to your respective e-mails to do with as you please. But there were also files on many prominent people and I suspect some encrypted files. I had JARVIS go through those. What did you find, J?”

“There were encrypted files, videos from several SHIELD facilities. This is one I felt necessary to show all of you,” the AI intoned. “This is from a facility known only as The Hub. It is quite genuine, I ran it through my systems several times to make sure.”

The big television screen turns on and a video begins to play. There are several agents standing around as a man in cuffs is led off the screen. One of the agents in the background is a very not dead Phil Coulson.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

He shrinks back into the couch, trying to hide from the confusion that the video has aroused. Even the man….Steve and…Darcy are arguing about what seeing the short and stocky man they call Phil means. But he is looking at someone else. All morning his thoughts have been jumbled. He is getting flashes of…before. Images, that he cannot place, faces he cannot name. He has been able to keep them in the back of his mind until now. The man in the cuffs, he knows him. Another mission, very recent.

He sees…a man, sees him through the scope of a rifle. A scientist, his mission. The other man is there to collect data, to bring in technology. He sees himself pulling the trigger. The other man is pleased. They leave to return to his handlers. 

( _Thank you, Garrett. Wipe the asset_ )

He whimpers and starts to shake. This is what he is, a weapon.  This is what he does not want to be. Darcy is in front of him, using that name.

“James, are you all right?”

He is not James. But he is not Bucky or the asset, so it is something that he knows he can be called. 

“James, can you tell me what’s wrong? Do you know someone on the video?”

He sees Steve come to his other side, strong hands holding him. Darcy’s touch is gentle. He does not deserve gentle. He focuses on the screen again.

“Garrett,” he manages to say from between clenched teeth.

He cannot hold back the images, the faces. He closes his eyes and lets them overtake him, falling into blackness as they wash over him.

~*~*~*~*~

“James!” Darcy calls, but Bucky is just lying there, twitching. Steve is there, stroking Bucky’s arms, but they can’t rouse him.

“Get him down to medical,” Bruce says. “Something on that video affected him.”

“Garrett,” Darcy says. “He said the name Garrett.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tony says. “Get him looked at. If he’s going to revert back to…We need to know what’s going on.”

Steve stands and lifts Bucky into his arms. Darcy follows and she sees that Nat and Clint aren’t far behind. Bucky continues to twitch, muttering things in multiple languages. Darcy recognizes English, Russian, German and Italian. When they get to medical, Steve takes Bucky through the doors, leaving her with Nat and Clint on the other side of the glass.

“I don’t know what happened,” she whispers, running her hands down her arms.

“I think Bruce was right,” Clint offers. “There was a trigger.”

Nat offers her an unexpected one-armed hug as Steve comes back through the door.

“They think he’s remembering,” he says, moving close to Darcy.

They stand there, watching until Natasha says something.

“I have been in communications with some of my old contacts. There is a file on James, on what they did.”

“Do you know what’s in it?” Darcy asks.

“Some. It is being sent here. They…reprogrammed him. Made him into what they needed.”

“It’s why he didn’t know who I was,” Steve says.

“Yes. It is probable they scrubbed his memories after every mission,” Nat says. “Something must have happened during one of your fights. He started to remember.”

“When we opened the files from Pierce’s server, he recognized pre-serum Steve and Peggy. He knew Tony was Howard’s son,” Darcy says. “How does that lead to this?”

“Too many memories,” says Clint. “I talked about this some with someone after…after Loki. He’s probably remembering things he can’t process. That video hit another trigger and it overwhelmed him. I’m not sure if they,” he nods to indicate the doctors, “can do anything. He may need to ride it out.”

“How long?” Steve asks. 

“He’s been like this for seventy years,” Natasha says. “It’s hard to say.”

Darcy looks up at Steve, watches as he takes this in. She has only known Bucky for a few days, but through Steve she feels like she’s known him forever. “We’ll stay here, watch him,” she says.

“No, you are tired, I can see it,” Nat says.

“Buck had a nightmare,” Steve says quietly.

“Go. Sleep. We will watch,” she indicates Clint and herself. “You are not his only friends.”

Darcy wonders what she means by that, but she knows better than to argue. She tugs at Steve’s arm, waiting as he takes one last look at Bucky before following her. He holds her close as they ride back up to her room. It must be killing him to see Bucky like this, to know how much his friend has gone through. She’s read about things like this happening, but to actually see it….

They arrive at her room and she closes it behind them. She turns and Steve pulls her in, hugging her as he buries his face in her neck. She runs a hand through his hair, murmuring softly.

“He’ll be okay, Steve. I think this was going to happen sooner or later.”

“If I’d….”

“No,” she says. “You are not going to play that game Steve Rogers. What happened to Bucky is not your fault. We will do what we can for him, but you will not blame yourself.”

He nods against her neck. Then he turns and kisses her, trailing his lips over her pulse point. He moves to her mouth, one hand stroking into her hair, the other at her waist, pulling her against him. She melts into the kiss for a moment, wanting this, needing this. 

“Steve,” she says as he moves back to her neck. She pulls her hands up to his chest, pressing gently. “Steve.”

He moves back, looking at her. “Darcy, I’m sorry, I….”

She smiles, moving in to press a kiss to his cheek. “Don’t ever apologize for kissing me. I just don’t think now is the time for more than that.”

“I just,” he swipes a hand through his hair. Then he comes in close again, pressing his forehead to hers. “I need you to know that I love you, Darce. I can’t let another moment go by without telling you that. I love you.”

Her heart skips several beats before galloping into her throat. She swallows, pulls him down for a sweet and gentle kiss. When she pulls back, she’s grinning at him. “Well then, it’s a good thing I love you too.”

His smile is one of the rare genuine ones; it lights up his whole face. He hugs her again and they stand there for several minutes before she feels exhaustion take over.

“Come on, soldier, we do need sleep, like Nat said. I’m sure JARVIS will wake us if anything happens.”

Steve follows her back to the bedroom. They lie down together and he pulls her close to him before they drift off into sleep.

*~*~*~*~*

It quickly becomes obvious that Bucky isn’t going to be waking up anytime soon. The team, plus Pepper and Jane, come up with a roster of who’s going to stay with him, so that someone is with him at all times. Bruce is first, promising to have JARVIS alert them if anything happens. They all are gathered a few days later to talk about Phil. Darcy knows the first thing she’s going to do is slug him. Then she’ll thank him because if it hadn’t been for him, she would never have met Steve.

“So why didn’t Fury let us know what was going on? Why wasn’t this in any of the data Red let loose?” Tony asks.

“Not everything makes it into files,” Darcy says. “Can’t prove anything if there isn’t a paper trail.”

“Do we let him know we know?” Steve asks.

“No,” says Clint emphatically. “He’s obviously trying to root out HYDRA. He can’t do the job if his cover is compromised.”

“So we just let him get hurt?” Tony says angrily. Darcy didn’t realize he knew Phil all that well.

“He knows we’re here,” Nat says. “If we’re needed, he’ll call.”

The discussion is left there and moves on to what they can do in the fight against HYDRA. Darcy tunes it all out and wonders if there is anything out there that might help Bucky. She gets JARVIS to set up a program to search all the information set free to the public, tells him she’ll comb through it herself. It’s something she can do while on Bucky watching duty. 

Days stretch into weeks and weeks into a month. Darcy is keeping an eye on Bucky whenever she’s not with Jane or Steve. There are a few times Jane has to come down and be her Darcy, reminding her to eat and sleep. She’s currently sitting by his bed, adjusting the blanket over him. He’s got restraints to keep from hurting himself; a special adamantium enforced one for the metal arm. He’s being fed and slightly sedated but Darcy’s not too keen on knowing the nitty gritty of all the medical stuff. 

Sometimes she talks to him, telling him about her life with Steve, about the fight against HYDRA. Sometimes she just plays songs, humming along and wondering if some of her musical choices will be annoying enough to wake Bucky up. Right now she’s taking an extra shift because the team got called out an hour ago and Pepper has been left to explain to the SI board why Tony is missing out on yet another meeting. 

Darcy doesn’t mind. She’s busy correcting Jane’s grammar on a paper that will be submitted to several journals for consideration while humming along to an Andrews Sisters tune. She had this notion that maybe a reminder of his time before--everything will bring Bucky back to the here and now. She hears a quick tap, the sound of metal on metal, but looks around and can’t find the source. 

Darcy shrugs it off as her imagination until she hears it again. She shuts off the music and strains to hear it once more. _Tap_. Darcy catches movement in her periphery vision. It’s Bucky’s hand, one of his metal fingers twitching against the restraint. She holds her breath and looks up to his face. His eyes seem to dance behind closed lids. There must be something registering on the monitors because a nurse comes in, makes some notes and calls for a doctor.

“What’s going on?” Darcy asks.

The doctor makes an adjustment to one of the bags that hang from a pole. “I think Mr. Barnes is trying to wake up. We’re lowering his sedative to see if that’s the case.”

Darcy notes that it’s just the doctor and nurse here; obviously they know about Bucky’s previous reaction to medical personnel. She tries to remember to breathe, watching as Bucky starts to twitch more.

“Mr. Barnes? Can you open your eyes for me?” the doctor asks.

Bucky seems to get more agitated at that. He strains against the straps holding him down. They keep calling him Mr. Barnes and he keeps thrashing. The doctor says something about restoring the sedative, and Darcy steps in. She moves to the head of the bed, ignoring the warnings of the doctor. She places a hand gently on his shoulder and leans into whisper to him.

“James. You’re safe. Please wake up.”

His eyes open slowly and he turns to look at her. She smiles as he slowly relaxes.

“Do you remember me, James?”

“D…D…Darcy,” he says, voice rough from disuse.

The doctor is making notes, talking softly to the nurse about tests they want to run, but Darcy just focuses on Bucky.

“Do you know where you are?”

He blinks, looks around, “Not a hospital.”

“No, but do you know which city?”

“New York,” he says firmly.

“Do you know what year it is?” she asks.

The answer isn’t what she’s expecting. “Fuck if I know, doll, I’ve been frozen more than I’ve been awake.”

Bucky shuts his mouth quickly, then opens and closes it several times before looking at her with a puzzled expression. It’s as if the answer was automatic, a flash of who he’d been before. Steve’s Bucky is in there somewhere, and Darcy decides this is a good sign.

“Do you wanna know?” she asks with a grin.

*~*~*~*~*~

The doctor runs his tests and tries to argue the merits of a CT-scan or MRI despite the presence Bucky’s--prosthetic. But Darcy is more stubborn and they let him go with a promise of checking in once daily to monitor him. She has JARVIS send a message to Pepper. Then she hugs Bucky fiercely the moment he’s freed from the restraints. He manages to pat her back once before she lets go.

“I wish there was someone we could trust that you could talk to,” she says as they head out of medical. “I mean, Sam was kind of a counselor, but he’s out fighting. Plus I think you trying to…never mind.”

He looks at her and she knows she’s blushing. She hates that she was rambling. But she doesn’t really know Bucky other than from Steve and the few days before his collapse. 

“Is…Sam...?He had wings,” Bucky says slowly. “He wasn’t hurt?”

“Not badly. I’m glad you remember him.”

She leads him into the elevator and he reaches for the button that will lead to the guest apartments. She stops him and presses the one for her floor.

“We moved you.  You’re next to me and Steve now,” she reminds him. 

“Steve…is he…I remember. You were both there when I…did I hurt him? You?”

“No, he’s fine. I’m fine. He’s out with the rest of the team. They’re working on getting rid of HYDRA. You’ve been down for a while.”

Bucky nods, follows her out when they reach her floor. She shows him his room. He seems surprised that all of the things in there are for him.

“This is…too much,” he says. “I don’t….”

“James,” Darcy sighs, repressing the urge to roll her eyes. “I can see why you and Steve got along. You do deserve this. We will help you find yourself again. Can I ask? What do you remember?”

He sits on a stool in front of the kitchen counter; she takes one across from him. “Everything,” he says, and then he shakes his head, looks at her, still a little lost. “No, not everything. I have….flashes of what I did. It’s all mixed up and jumbled, but…I remember Steve.”

“Well maybe I can help you un-jumble things. I did really well in history and being a poli-sci major meant I studied the War a lot. We can start on that tomorrow. Right now, how ‘bout I cook you something? You hungry?”

He nods in agreement and Darcy beams.

*~*~*~*~

After the first few days of asking Bucky what he wants to do and getting “I don’t know” as a reply, she sets a routine for them both. No one seems to know when the team will return and all JARVIS will say is that they are unavailable. She gets a call here and there from Steve, just long enough for him to say “I love you,” and “I miss you”; not long enough for her to tell him about Bucky.

First thing is breakfast, sometimes with Pepper and Jane. Then she shows him pictures of Steve, pre-serum, and of the Howling Commandoes and listens as he pieces together his memories.  She brings out other history books and catches him up like she did with Steve. Then they check on Jane before having lunch. Bucky checks in with the doctors after that, letting Darcy have at least an hour to herself.

The afternoon is for workouts in the gym. It helps Bucky focus his frustration at his memory mix-up and gives Darcy a chance to blow off steam of her own. She willingly admits to ogling him as he does free weights, shirt off and muscles bulging. She pretends that she doesn’t see him watching her on the treadmill, pushes down how his gaze makes her feel.

The evenings are for catching up on popular culture. This week is Disney films. She’s rejected Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Lion King and Frozen. Bucky doesn’t need to have anything contributing to his nightmares.

Today is Beauty and the Beast. Darcy really identifies with Belle. She’s a curious, bookish woman who constantly had to deal with the dickish Gastons of the world. But Steve is no Beast, even if he’s an actual Disney prince come to life. She always sits next to Bucky on the couch, touching him and reassuring him during any bad parts. He always leans into her touch, starved for human contact.

At the end of the movie, as Belle kisses the Beast, beginning his transformation, Darcy sighs, turning to Bucky. “Don’t you love a happy ending?”

He’s staring at her and she wonders how long he’s been doing that. His expression is unreadable, eyes intense. She knows she should move away but she questions if any sudden movement will cause him to react badly.

“James?” she whispers.

His metal hand reaches out, tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear before settling on the back of her head. Then he leans in and kisses her. It’s soft and gentle and boy does he know how to kiss. She melts into it for a moment before pulling back.

“James… I… Steve…,”she stammers.

“Sorry,” he says, springing up from the couch and leaving her there to puzzle out what the hell that had been all about.

*~*~*~*~

He curses himself as several thousand kinds of fool, stalking into his room and yelling at the ceiling. “JARVIS!”

“The doors are locked, James,” the AI responds.

“Keep Darcy out.”

“Yes, sir.”

He half wishes he’d gone to the gym, but she would have found him there far too quickly. He settles for pacing the floor instead. It had been a risk, kissing Darcy. James doesn’t want to think about that. Instead he curses and stomps, emotions boiling at the surface. Of course she doesn’t want to be with him. He is still a monster, so much like the one in the movie. A man turned into a monster by someone evil, something evil. He had hoped… wanted Darcy to be the woman to break his metaphorical curse.

She calls him James, a name that still doesn’t quite fit. But he’s not Bucky and he’s not the cold nameless assassin, so it will do for now. He wants to be the man who fits that name, a man who is worthy of the woman who is helping him put his life back in order.

He now remembers most of his life from before and the biggest memories are of Steve. He remembers meeting the skinny waif of a boy standing up to bullies. He remembers nursing Steve through illnesses and diseases that are all but gone now. He remembers telling Steve he’d enlisted, despite the fact he’d been drafted, because Steve was so gung-ho about going and fighting. He remembers stronger, well-built Steve rescuing him from Zola’s clutches the first time. He has nightmares about what might have happened if Steve hadn’t come.

James remembers and knows that he had been the consummate ladies’ man. He had a different woman on his arm every week. But no matter how many dames he dated, kissed or slept with; none of them wormed their way into his heart like Steve Rogers.

Until now.

He thinks that when he went to that safe house, saw the pictures of Steve and Darcy, there was recognition then. A notion that Steve had landed the girl of their wet dreams, all curves and lips and confidence. When he’d asked for her help, she did it without question,  and she still does it because that’s the kind of person she is.

These last few weeks, he’s never been without Darcy by his side for more than an hour during the day. It’s no wonder that he’s fallen for her. She is the calm in the storm of his jumbled life. She’s in his heart, right there next to Steve. And he can’t have either of them. He doesn’t deserve them. He is still a monster.

*~*~*~*~

He’s avoiding her. Darcy doesn’t blame James for this after what happened. But with the team going into month two of being away, it’s getting harder and harder to keep from seeing each other. He is even resorting to keeping her out when he is having nightmares. She’s going to have to put her foot down about it soon. She wants to help him.

Darcy doesn’t think about the kiss. A lot. She will not think about how good it felt. She will not admit that James Buchanan Barnes is affecting her emotionally in any way. 

“JARVIS, where’s Bucky?”

“He is in the gym, Miss Lewis.”

“Thanks, J.”

She’s going to make him talk to her whether he likes it or not. She finds him whaling on a punching bag, several already--destroyed ones lying on the floor. He’s shirtless and dangerous. Darcy just straightens her shoulders and makes enough noise not to startle him.

“James Barnes, we are going to talk,” she says, standing where he can see her.

“Nothin’ to talk about,” he says, giving the bag a huge left hook with his metal arm. It crumples to the floor leaving nothing between them.

“If you want it to be like nothing happened, I can do that,” she says.

“Why?”

“Because I miss our time together. Jane just left for her conference and Pepper is busy with Stark Industries stuff. Other than JARVIS, you’re the only one I have to talk to.”

“I can do that,” he says after a moment. “Start tomorrow?”

“Deal,” she says, stepping closer to him. “Can I hug you now?”

He hesitates, but opens his arms and she steps into them. She rests her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat He holds her loosely as if afraid to touch her. She doesn’t mind that he’s sweaty and smelly. Darcy looks up at him and the way he’s looking at her…..

“Miss Lewis, James, I just got word, the team is returning. They’ll be here in fifteen minutes,” JARVIS says.

James lets her go quickly, stepping back. “I should go clean up. Gotta look good when I see Steve’s face,” he says. 

“Yeah, me too. See you up there,” she says.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Steve sees Darcy waiting for them as they land. He’s itching to be the first off the jet but Tony is stuck in a part of the armor and Clint needs some patching up. Thor left straight from the battle to go find Jane and Bruce will go off to be on his own for a while. Natasha seems to be the only one who sees him watching and smiles.

“Why Captain Rogers, have you been holding out on me?” she teases.

He grins and says nothing as she gets out with Clint. He waits in the jet until Sam nudges his shoulder.

“Go get your girl, Cap.”

“Told you, I already have her,” he quips.

He steps out after Sam, heart racing as her face lights up at seeing him. He starts walking towards her and that spurs into a run. She flings herself at him and he catches her, swinging her into his arms, kissing her hard and fast. It reminds Steve a little of one of those romance movies Darcy makes him watch. Finally he puts her down, still holding onto her.

“I missed you, Darce,” he says into her hair. “I love you, you know.”

“I do,” she says. “And I missed you too. It’s been lonely without you.”

“I’m sure Bucky wasn’t the best of company,” he jokes.

“Better than you think, punk.”

Steve looks up and stares at Bucky who is standing at the doors of the elevator. He looks down at Darcy.

“Surprise?” she says, untangling herself from his arms and pushing him towards Bucky.

There are so many things Steve wants to say, to ask, but he can’t get the words out. Instead he walks over, reaches for Bucky and Bucky steps closer as Steve pulls him into a hug.

“Jerk,” he says softly.

Bucky wraps his real arm around Steve and holds him there until Darcy says something.

“Come on you goobers, I’ve got food being delivered for the team. I want to hear how you kicked HYDRA’s ass.”

Steve steps back from Bucky, clapping him on the shoulder. “I could eat,” he says as both Bucky and Darcy laugh.

*~*~*~*~*

Darcy hums happily as she dances in the elevator. It’s been a few weeks since Steve came back and life is good. He and Bucky are clicking and the awkwardness between her and Bucky is almost gone. Her relationship with Steve went to the next level. She thanked Doctor Erskine’s memory and the next morning at breakfast, Bucky may have muttered something about soundproofing. Steve’s blush had been adorable.

Right now she’s heading for the gym to indulge in her new favorite pastime; super soldier ogling. Steve and Bucky work out together, always ending with a wrestling match. It does wonders for her libido even if she has to ignore certain feelings for certain ex-amnesiacs. She is eager to take Steve back to their room afterwards as the doors open onto a scene straight out of her wildest fantasies and deepest fears.

Steve has Bucky pressed up against the wall, kissing him like he kisses her. There is a more primal urgency in this, Steve running his hands through Bucky’s hair. Bucky, in turn is holding onto Steve, fingers clinging to his hips, groaning as they move together.

Darcy doesn’t realize she’s made a sound, but she must have because suddenly they stop and look at her. She backs into the elevator, choking back tears. She really should have seen this coming.

“I… congratulations,” she croaks. “JARVIS, up please.”

The doors close on Steve rushing towards her, calling her name.

*~*~*~*~*

James isn’t quite sure how he ended up against the gym wall kissing Steve but he’s not going to question it too hard. 

When Steve came back, they’d hugged and James didn’t realize how he’d missed that feeling. He joked and talked with him at dinner, watching as Steve and Darcy interacted. That night he heard more than his heart breaking.

When Steve invites him to work out together of course James says yes. He wants to take every chance to be near Steve. They start getting closer, and there is this… thing between them. Plus he enjoys Darcy watching them, he likes showing off for her.

“Come on, punk.  That all you got?” he says, goading Steve.

“Lemme show you some new tricks,” Steve says, pushing him back and back.

They end up against the wall, Steve up in his face. They stand there for endless moments until Steve swears, “Fuck it,” and closes in for the kiss. Neither of them hears the elevator arrive, but they both hear Darcy’s squeak.

Steve backs away; they both turn to look at her. James’ heart clenches as he sees her lip tremble, her face fall.

“I… congratulations,” she says.

“Darcy, wait!” Steve calls, rushing for the doors as they close.

“Go, get her,” James says. “I’ll….uh….”

Steve glances back at him, expression worried. “Come on, Buck, we take the stairs we can maybe catch up with her.”

“We…?” James asks but Steve is already gone and he chases after taking the stairs two or three at a time.

They get there just after the elevator doors open and Darcy runs for the room. She makes it but Steve puts a hand in before she can shut it completely.

“Darce, please?”

James stands behind Steve, hoping she’ll let them in. They could go through his room, but by then she could have JARVIS lock the doors. She nods, not looking at them as they go in. She closes the door and mutters something at the floor.

“Hope you two have a good life.”

“Darcy, this isn’t… I… I love you,” Steve says.

“Then what the hell was that?” she asks, head snapping up to glare at them both.

“It was just a kiss, doll,” James says. “It doesn’t have to mean anything, just like ours didn’t.”

“You kissed Bucky?” Steve asks, looking at them both in surprise.

“He kissed me first!” Darcy counters.

“Wait!” Steve shouts. “Just…. Just hold on a moment.”

They all stand there, waiting for…something.

“I want to try something,” Steve says finally, voice low and commanding. “Darcy, kiss Bucky.”

“What?” she blurts, astonished.

“Please?”

Darcy sigh, muttering something about how ridiculous this all is and approaches James, grabs his shirt and pulls him down. She tries to make it just a quick peck on the lips, but he’s having none of it. James brings her close with his arms, plundering her mouth and making her moan. Steve is right there, pressing against them both.

“Me now, Buck,” Steve says.

James straightens up, grabs Steve and nibbles at his lips before kissing him. Darcy tries to wiggle away and Steve pulls her up off her feet, pressing her between them as he moves his head to kiss her. James stands there staring, holding on, the taste of both Steve and Darcy lingering on his tongue.

“Hold on,” James says, “I’m gonna need someone to explain. I think I’ve still got some brain freeze here.”

Darcy laughs and Steve lets her down. She takes his hand in hers.

“I think our dear Captain is trying to tell us that we’re all idiots.”

“I know he is, sweetheart, but you sure ain’t,” James says.

“Buck… James… I love you. And Darcy. I think…we should try this,” Steve says.

“I love you too, James,” Darcy says. “Do you want us?”

He tries to protest. “You can’t… I’m not… We could?”

“We could,” Steve says, pulling them all in closer. “We love you, we want you.”

James can’t hold back anymore. He lets himself fall, knowing they are there to catch him.

“Love you both,” he says. “I want to try.”

Darcy smiles and hugs him tight as Steve kisses him again. Darcy lets go and grabs both their hands, pulling them towards the bedroom.

James can’t believe it. The monster is saved by the princess AND the prince. He doesn’t think Walt Disney ever envisioned this kind of happy ending. But this is his and he’s going to take it.


End file.
